Three African ex-Presidents, Others to Attend Obasanjo’s Birthday Celebration

Three African ex-Presidents, Others to Attend Obasanjo’s Birthday Celebration

Kayode Fasua in Abeokuta

Three African former presidents and other world leaders have been slated to grace the 83rd birthday celebration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, scheduled to hold between March 3 and 4.

Some of these past African leaders include former President Bia Koroma of Uganda, his Liberian counterpart, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the former Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, among other prominent African leaders.

Also, the Chinese and Indian Ambassadors to Nigeria are to give perspectives of their countries on the “Asian aspiration and lessons for Africa” at the event slated to hold between March 3 and 5 in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

Addressing a world press conference yesterday in Abeokuta, the Director, Centre for Human Security and Dialogue (CHSD) of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Prof. Peter Okebukola, said the centre with the support of The Brenthurst Foundation would organise an international policy round-table with the theme: “The Asian Aspiration” for the purpose of sharing lessons from that continent for strengthening Africa’s integration and cooperation in the area of socioeconomic development.

Okebukola explained that Obasanjo’s birthday celebrations since he left office as president in 2007, has been used as a platform to evolve and promote development agenda relevant to the growth and advancement of Africa and the world in general.

“The roundtable will bring together former Heads of State and Government in Africa, especially from the ECOWAS sub-region, heads as well as representatives of United Nations agencies, Ambassadors of foreign missions to Nigeria, leaders from the public and private sector, development partners,” he said.

The roundtable meeting would hold on Tuesday and Wednesday next week at OOPL International Conference Centre.Keynote address would be delivered by former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, her counterpart from Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma and former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn.

“Ambassador of China to Nigeria and the Head of Chancery of the Indian High Commission to Nigeria will give perspectives of their countries on the Asian aspiration and lessons for Africa.

“The policy roundtable will witness the formal presentation of the book, ‘The Asian Aspiration’ written by Greg Mills, Olusegun Obasanjo, and others.

“On March 5, former President Koroma will deliver a birthday keynote lecture on the topic, ‘The Place of Pan-Africanism in an Emerging World of Besieged Liberal Democracy’ to celebrate the 83rd birthday of Chief Obasanjo, to be followed by a birthday carnival with mosaic presentations of African cultural heritage,” Okebukola said.

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